Going Home
by Emartin
Summary: Maria's return from the abbey
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Going Home 

**Summary:** Maria's return from the abbey through the Captain and Maria's engagement. A second story will follow this one as a sequel with snippets from the time between their engagement up until the wedding. 

Some chapters are interim scenes that I would have liked to see happen and some are my take on particular movie scenes. This story is based on an older story I had written, which I decided to redo since my views on many of the characters have changed and I wanted to incorporate more dialogue than I had previously and take out some of the schmaltz. I also decided to split the story in two to keep focus on the plot (what little plot there is to this fluff anyways! LOL!) I like to think that it is an improvement, since I have had a chance to improve my writing in the past months. Enjoy! 

**Rating:** PG for some romance.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 20th Century Fox, The Sound of Music, or any of its characters.

**Going Home**

Maria sat alone in her bedroom, unable to think of anything but the conversation that had just taken place outside the Villa. Brigitta's words rang in her ears – _"The most important thing is that Father is going to be married." _

She absently looked out the window and closed her eyes. All she could see in her mind were the children's pleading eyes as they looked up at her, as if her return would be able to make everything better. She knew that she should have said something encouraging to them; to let them know that everything would be okay. But she had felt a pain shoot through her heart and her legs had threatened to give out on her as the words echoed in her mind. She just could not find the strength to move or speak.

Then instantly _he _had appeared before her, looking at her as if nothing had changed; staring down at her with that same half smile that she had seen so many times before. In the past, it had felt so right when she looked into his eyes, just the two of them looking deep into each other's souls and putting all thoughts of propriety aside for a moment. Today it had still felt right; until the Baroness had walked up behind him, claiming him rightfully as her own by taking hold of his arm.

Maria felt tears well in her eyes as the image branded itself into her mind. She had never felt so foolish in her entire life and was just grateful that she had managed to withhold her tears in front of them.

But now as she sat alone in her bedroom, a tear trickled down her cheek and her heart felt like it could explode from pain. She glanced Heavenward and sighed deeply. "Guide me, Father. Please. I can't take this," she prayed in a small voice.  
  
Maria's shoulders slouched and tears began to fall more rapidly down her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to stop them without much luck.

"Fraulein Maria?" Marta shyly peeked around the corner of Maria's doorframe staring at her governess with wide eyes. She was not used to seeing her in this state and the sadness that loomed in the air scared her.  
  
Maria quickly wiped a few tears from her eyes before turning around to face the timid little girl. "Hello, darling," she said with a genuine smile. She wiped her eyes dry a second time and motioned for Marta to come and sit on her lap.

Marta walked slowly towards her and took a seat. She looked upwards at her governess with wide eyes and leaned her head against her shoulder. "Why are you crying?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
"I was just thinking about how sad I'll be when I have to leave you and your brothers and sisters," Maria told her gently.  
  
Marta's gaze dropped to her lap. "You're leaving again?"  
  
Maria reached upwards to brush a strand of hair out of Marta's face. She stroked her cheek gently until Marta looked into her eyes. "If it was up to me, I would stay here with you and never leave. But, soon you won't need me here anymore because you will have a new mother," she told her with feigned enthusiasm.  
  
Marta looked up and Maria could see the little girl's bottom lip beginning to quiver and tears forming in her eyes. "But I want you," she whispered with a down-turned lip.  
  
Maria gathered Marta closer in her grasp and wiped some of the tears from her eyes. She rocked her gently in her arms and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You can come and visit me whenever you'd like. I'm sure Liesl would take you." 

Marta nodded her head mutely and Maria could feel the little girl's shoulders heaving as she tried to hold back her tears. "I want you to be _here_," she barely said, her voice catching as she spoke and her tears coming forth.  
  
"I know you do," Maria sighed, leaning her cheek on the top of her head.

Marta's sobs deepened and she reached her hands upwards to wrap around Maria's neck. She closed her eyes and for a long time clung tight to Maria, softly sniffling. Suddenly she moved her head back and Maria looked into her reddened eyes. "Can the Baroness leave instead?" the little girl suggested.

Maria's eyes clouded with tears as she met Marta's innocent look. Slowly she shook her head. "No darling. Your father loves her," she whispered with a slight hesitation.

At once, she felt a heat rush to her face and was forced to inhale deeply to suppress the tears that once again were creeping up on her. Absently she looked away and collected her thoughts. Maria closed her eyes and tried to not think about the stake in her heart at the realization of her own words.

Turning back to Marta, she spoke lowly. "And he wants to give all of you a new mother. You'll be a real family again soon." Maria forced a smile and hoped that her voice sounded more enthusiastic than she had a feeling it did.

"But I love _you_," Marta said in a small voice as her mouth formed into a deep frown. "I want _you_ to stay with us."

Maria pulled Marta close and could feel her warm tears on her chest. She kissed the top of her head and gently rubbed her back in comfort. After a moment, Maria urged Marta away from her a little so that she could look at her.

"I love you too, sweetheart. And remember that I will always be here." As she spoke, Maria placed her hand to Marta's heart and looked her in the eyes. Maria smiled genuinely at the child she had grown to love so much.

Marta placed her head back on Maria's shoulder and closed her eyes. She sighed deeply and moved her small hands more tightly around Maria's neck as silent tears continued to fall and her small body trembled with worry.

Maria hugged her close and placed a kiss on her temple. She felt her own chest tighten when she thought about how little time she had left at the Villa. Soon all of the children would go to someone else when they were sad and she wouldn't know what was troubling them anymore. Soon she would not know the feeling of little hands around her neck anymore, and she would not have anyone's tears to dry but her own. There would be no more arguments over whose hair got braided first in the morning or who got to choose what to do for the afternoon. Soon she would be gone and would leave all of these things here in the Villa for someone else to deal with. The thought was almost too much for her to bear.

After a long while, Maria loosened her grip slightly around Marta and looked across the room at the clock on her nightstand. "We should go down for dinner. We don't want to keep your father waiting for us."

Marta nodded sullenly.

Maria gave her a sidelong glance, the little girl's sad face still apparent. "But we can't go down looking like that, can we?" she asked with a smile.

Marta looked at her governess and slowly shook her head, just as Maria reached toward her and started to tickle the little girl's stomach and under her arms.

Marta giggled softly at first but her laughter soon increased in volume as Maria tickled her even more.

After a moment of hearing Marta's giggled pleas to stop, Maria finally pulled Marta toward her in a tight embrace and then gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."

Marta smiled at her with sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks. "I love you too, Fräulein Maria."

Maria rose, gave Marta one final hug and placed her on the ground. Hand in hand, they walked downstairs to dinner, both dreading the sight of the Captain with his new fiancée.


	2. Chapter 2

Maria and Marta entered the dining room hand in hand and Maria paused for a moment when she realized that everyone else was already seated and waiting for them. The children sat along the sides of the table and the Captain and Baroness were already seated at the head, leaving the other end for Max and herself.   
  
"Sit down here, darling," she said lowly to Marta with a slight nod toward the open seat.  She rubbed the little girl's back in comfort and kept her gaze focused on her charge, although she could feel nine sets of eyes staring at them.

Marta nodded and smiled up at Maria before sitting.  She glanced around the table at her brothers and sisters and grinned broadly as her silent way to let everyone know that she had spent time alone with her governess, something that did not happen too often for any of the children in the Von Trapp house.

"Good evening," Maria said vaguely to the entire table as she hurried to her seat. 

Max stood and pulled out her chair for her and Maria looked up at him and smiled.  "Thank you, Herr Detweiler," she said sincerely, grateful for his presence tonight.

"Well it isn't every day that I have a dinner date who shows up, and with our history I must use all my charms," he answered with a debonair grin. 

Maria cast him a sidelong glance and smiled again at the impresario.  "Well it's appreciated, thank you," she said softly.

"And I must say, my dear, it is very nice to have you back with us," Max continued while taking Maria's hand and kissing it.    
  
Sounds of agreement echoed from each side of the dinner table and Maria glanced at the children lovingly and smiled.

"I just couldn't take another gloomy face.  It took all I had to keep the lot of them entertained.  And I can be quite charming and pleasant if I do say so myself," Max quipped with a grin and a small shrug.

Elsa looked at Maria with impatience and smiled cattily at the sight of the naïve girl.  "Darling, you're boring the poor girl to death with all that chatter.  And you know how I feel about cold soup," Elsa interjected in an exaggerated tone, while gesturing to the bowl in front of her.

"You're the only who appreciates me around here," Max whispered to Maria with a sarcastic cock of his head toward the opposite end of the table.

"Oh Max, hush!" Elsa said through a gale of coquettish laughter.

"All right, both of you please," Georg said with authority while eyeing Max reproachfully and noticing his children's sullen looks as they waited to eat.  "Fräulein, would you like to say grace for us?"

The Captain looked upwards toward Maria and she instinctively looked to her lap without meeting his gaze, and merely nodded.  She could feel the Captain's eyes focused on her as she cleared her throat lightly, hoping that her quickened pulse wouldn't affect her voice.  She bowed her head and the rest of the table followed suit, including a clearly bothered Elsa who sighed loudly before conforming. 

"Lord, thank you for our health and safety and for blessing us with this abundant meal tonight.  May you make us truly thankful for what we are about to receive.  Amen," Maria prayed in a small voice.

Everyone began to indulge in the meal, and the silence all around reminded Maria of her first dinner with the family, before more interactive and lively conversation had evolved.  The clatter of silverware against china filled the room for a long while and it seemed that nobody wanted to be the first to speak.

Suddenly a small voice shattered the dreadful silence.  "Fräulein Maria?"  Gretl asked lowly while tugging on Maria's sleeve.

"Yes, darling," Maria answered with relief, grateful for _something _to distract her thoughts and break the awkward silence.   She looked to the little girl and focused her gaze on her as if they were the only two people in the room.

Gretl motioned with her hand for Maria to bend close to her and Maria smiled softly at her and obeyed, despite the many eyes she felt watching them. 

"I don't like this," Gretl whispered in Maria's ear while pointing to an untouched pile of green beans on her plate. 

"You don't?" Maria said with mock surprise while opening her eyes wide.

Gretl shook her head with certainty and looked at Maria with pleading eyes.  "Do I have to eat it?" she barely whispered.

"How about you eat half of it and then you'll be finished?" Maria suggested in a low voice.

Gretl sighed deeply.  "But…," she started to protest in a sullen tone.

"What seems to be the matter, Gretl?" the Captain suddenly interjected after watching the scene for a moment and noting his daughter's expression.

"I don't want to eat them.  Even half," Gretl said with a pout to her father.  She crossed her arms and sat all the way back in her chair.

The Captain turned his questioning gaze to Maria and she had no choice but to look up at him.  "Gretl doesn't seem too fond of green beans," she explained.

"I see," he said softly, meeting Maria's gaze.  He locked eyes with her for a moment until Maria glanced downward toward her lap, flustered.

"Eat your dinner, Gretl," the Captain told her firmly, clearing his throat gently and looking straight at his youngest daughter.

"Oh Georg, you're such a beast!  The poor child looks terrified of you," Elsa teased in a chiding tone while playfully tapping the Captain's hand. 

He smiled tightly at her.  "Well she needs to learn to be grateful for her meals and to eat what's put in front of her without pouting, Elsa." 

Max glanced around the table and could see Brigitta and Liesl eyeing Gretl, urging her to eat without causing a scene. 

"Georg, children are like---," Elsa started to protest before she saw Max hold his hand up to her to cease her speaking.

 "The trick, Gretl, and polite thing to do is to pretend you're too full to eat anymore.  I know it's worked for me and that's why I'm such a pleasant guest," Max explained in a knowing voice with a smile.  "No problems, just constant charm, good company, intelligent conversation.  Why I'd never make me leave."

The children giggled on either side of the table, especially when Gretl nodded with total belief.

"Father, I'm full so I can't eat these.  Even half of them," Gretl announced with big eyes while pointing to her untouched food.

Max turned to Friedrich and Louisa and winked at them.  All of the children noticed and started to giggle at the display.

"Max!" Georg called, casting him a disapproving look.  He shook his head critically.  "What _are _you teaching my children?"

"What?" Max grinned with mock offence.  "I'm offering valuable advice to the impressionable little dears free of charge.  Something I don't do too often you know, but for them I'll make an exception." 

"A barter for your keep I see, hmm?" Georg quipped with a small half-smile in his friend's direction.  "I think I prefer someone else's advice when it comes to my children."

Georg smiled wryly at Max and then turned his gaze to the still-brooding little girl.  "Gretl, listen to your fräulein."

"_Really,_ Georg," Max replied with feigned insult.  He shook his head slowly, but winked at Brigitta and Kurt who giggled at his humor.

As Max continued to explain to everyone the merits of disciplining children according to his own credo, Georg turned his gaze to Maria and found her head bowed low next to Gretl's.  At first, the little girl sat pouting with her arms crossed in front of her, pursing her lips with obstinacy.  But as Georg continued to watch, he smiled to himself when he saw his daughter's stubborn look slowly fade.  He watched as Maria leaned over to cut Gretl's dinner into small pieces for her and as she whispered something in the child's ear, making Gretl put her hands to her mouth and giggle.  As if on cue, Gretl picked up her fork and began to eat her dinner with gusto.

Satisfied, Maria gave Gretl a kiss on the top of her head and turned toward her own meal once more.  She absently glanced in the Captain's direction and felt her cheeks tingle and her heart rate increase when she saw him watching her.

'_Thank you,_' he mouthed with a small half smile, his eyes fixated intensely on Maria's unwavering gaze.  For what felt like an eternity, the boisterous sounds around the table disappeared and they stared at each other, unable to break the connection.

The sudden feeling of someone tugging at his arm and calling his name forced Georg to return his attention to the dinner table.

"Georg? What do you think? Elsa asked him with a raised eyebrow, while patting his arm to try to disguise her impatience, not knowing that it showed in her voice nonetheless.  
  
"What would I think of--?" he trailed.  " I apologize Elsa, what was it you were saying?  
  
The Baroness quickly glanced from her fiancé to Maria, not at all oblivious to the moment they had just shared.  She smiled wryly before speaking with forced enthusiasm.  "Well, what I had said was that Gretchen wishes to spend some time with me while I am in Salzburg. She will be leaving for the Riviera in three days so I was thinking of leaving early in the morning to visit her.  I won't be away too long, darling; I couldn't stand the thought of leaving you for long," she repeated with a regretful pout. 

"Of course you should go," the Captain replied absently, his thoughts still clouded with confusion.  He reached over toward the Baroness and out of habit, patted her hand and cast her a smile.   
  
"Wonderful. Then it's all settled. I will be leaving early tomorrow morning. Try not to miss me too terribly, will you Georg?" Elsa teased in a coy voice.    
  
The Captain forced another smile and quickly diverted his attention to the food on his plate. Had the table not been filled with the excited banter of seven young people who were so excited to see their governess, the rest of dinner would have been very quiet, as few other words were muttered for the remainder of the meal.


	3. Chapter 3

"No!!!!"

Maria awoke with a start to the sound of muffled screaming.  For a few seconds she lay in a semi-conscious state thinking that she was dreaming.  Yet, after giving herself a moment to fully awaken, she knew that she was not. 

"Gretl!" she gasped at the realization of what the sound was.  Without hesitation, she leaped out of bed and ran down the hallway to the right wing of the house, where the children and the Captain slept. 

As she flew through the dark corridor, the cries continued.  Maria ran as quickly as she could and when she reached the bedroom door, she turned on the light and rushed to Gretl's bedside.

The chubby-cheeked little girl was tossing and turning vehemently and her face was contorted into a terrified expression.  
  
Maria lightly stroked Gretl's forehead and called her name in a low voice. "Gretl.  It's all right, sweetheart.  I'm here now." She kissed her on the forehead and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek with the back of her hand.  
  
Gretl's face gradually relaxed at the sound of her governess' voice.  She opened her eyes and then closed them again, realizing that she was safe in her own bedroom, and smiled faintly. "Fräulein Maria." she mumbled in her half awakened state.   
  
Maria tucked her deeper into her bed and placed another kiss on her forehead. "You had a bad nightmare, sweetheart, but it's all right now."

Gretl nodded sleepily, but opened her frightened eyes.  Tears welled in them and her bottom lip began to quiver.  "Don't leave."

"Shh…I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep again," Maria whispered.  She reached underneath the bed, searching for Gretl's hand and took it in hers.  Sitting down on the edge, Maria leaned toward Gretl and began to sing a lullaby.

She continued until she felt Gretl's grasp on her hand go limp and heard the little girl's breathing steady.  With one last kiss on the cheek Maria turned around to return to her own bedroom.

As she moved away from the bed, she gasped at the sight of the Captain standing in the doorway.  He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded in front of him and his hair was tousled. 

Hearing Maria's surprise, his eyes opened wide and he smiled softly at her.  
  
"Hello," Maria said in a low voice, absently looking upwards at his untidy hair.  She folded her arms in front of her chest, all of a sudden aware of the fact that she did not have her robe on.

In response, the Captain reached upwards and tried to smooth his hair.  He smiled warmly at her and pointed to the disheveled mess.  "_This _is something that not too many people get to see."

Maria smiled.  "Now _that's_ what I picture a Sea Captain to look like," she quipped.  
  
"Ah," the Captain said with a small, half-smile in her direction, recalling her initial remarks about his appearance.  "I'm sorry I startled you.  I heard the screaming and well…."

Maria shook her head and crossed her arms more tightly around her chest.  "She had a bit of a scare I'm afraid.  Breaks my heart to see her so upset, but I think she'll sleep now."

The Captain motioned for Maria to follow him out into the hall so that they would not wake Gretl up again.  She followed his lead and watched for a moment as he carefully shut the door behind them.

Turning around to face Maria, the Captain met her gaze and held it for a moment before Maria looked downward and began to knead her fingers.

"She hasn't been sleeping well at all.  Claims the monsters in her closet are trying to eat her."  The Captain smiled for a moment at the absurdity of the thought.

"I'll never know where they get some of their ideas from.  A child's imagination is in a class of its own," Maria answered with a sigh. 

"So the _children_ must have put together a show stopping puppet show themselves?" he asked with a slight smile and raise of his brow.

Maria's initial look of shock faded into a genuine smile and she gave him a sidelong glance.  "Point taken," she chuckled.  She leaned against the wall and smiled up at the Captain without realizing it.

"I wish I knew how you did it all," he said in a serious voice, gazing intensely at Maria and taking a step closer to her.

Her laughter died down and she continued to look up into his eyes, unable to look away.  She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest and almost had to remind herself to breath as they locked eyes.  Any thoughts of impropriety seemed to vanish as they looked at each other.  All Maria could think of was how right the flutter in her stomach and ache in her heart felt at that moment.

"I love doing anything with them," she barely whispered. 

The Captain took another step towards her, never removing his gaze.  "And they love _you_." 

He stared into her eyes, his own words hitting him full force.  _His children loved her._  Not as a friend or a governess.  Not as someone who would play a few games with them and then leave.  No, they loved her as their mother and needed her.  And so did he.

He took another step forward toward Maria and now stood directly in front of her.  Giving her a small half-smile, he noticed that her cheeks were a deep crimson color against her cream nightgown.  "You're the best thing that's happened to them since their mother passed away," he mused.

Maria nodded modestly, casting her gaze downward to her lap.  "Thank you, Sir.  It means so much to me knowing they're happy."

All of a sudden, the sound of a closing door caused both of them to look upwards.  Instinctively, Maria stepped to the side and wrapped both of her arms around her waist.  She moved to the other side of the hallway, hoping the movement would cool her burning cheeks and calm her racing heart.

The Captain cleared his throat and glanced down the corridor at his now approaching daughter.  Glancing backwards toward Maria, he saw that she had her back turned to him and had placed her hand over her mouth.  He closed his eyes at the image, but quickly turned back to face Brigitta.

"Hello, Brigitta," he greeted her with feigned calmness.

"Is Gretl dreaming again?" she asked with a yawn, looking sleepily from her father to her governess, who was now turning in their direction.

The Captain nodded and placed his arm around his daughter.  "Fräulein Maria put her back to sleep.  Good thing she was here."  Again, he glanced at Maria and for a moment locked eyes with her.

Brigitta looked upwards to Maria and smiled.  "She's always talking about the green monster in her closet.  I _personally _think its Kurt.  He's always looking for ways to scare her," she said with a smug smile.

Maria gave her a sidelong glance and could feel the Captain turn his face in her direction as she spoke.  "Brigitta, what did I tell you about pointing fingers?" she asked with a chiding look.

"To not blame others where I wouldn't want them to blame me," Brigitta recited in a monotonous tone with a shake of her head.

Maria absently glanced upwards at the Captain and he met her gaze and smiled. 

Turning to Brigitta again, who had quickly recovered from her reprimand, the Captain raised his eyebrow at her.  "Now, young lady.  It's time for _all _of us to go back to sleep.  Say goodnight to Fräulein Maria."

Brigitta stepped toward Maria and hugged her and then hugged her father. 

"Good night, darling," Maria said with a genuine smile. 

Brigitta smiled at them both and turned to walk down the hallway to her bedroom.

Maria and the Captain watched her go before turning towards each other.  As they did, they locked eyes again and the question of what had almost happened was apparent on both of their faces.

"Well, good night," Maria said lowly, making a conscious effort to step backward in the direction of her room. 

"Good night.  I'll see you at breakfast," the Captain replied with reluctance.

Maria stood still for a moment, before nodding to the Captain and turning to walk back to her room.  As she stepped a few paces further away from him, she heard her name.

"Uh Fraulein?"  
  
"Yes?" she asked with a tinge of nervousness in her voice, turning her body to face him.

"Thank you for everything.," he began hesitantly.  "Please know I appreciate it."  
  
"You're welcome."

Maria paused for a few awkward seconds, unsure as to what she should say next.  Finally, she merely met his gaze and nodded.  "Sleep well."

She turned to continue walking down the hall when the Captain stopped her a second time.  
  
"Fräulein, just out of curiosity, what was it that you said to Gretl at dinner tonight to get her to eat her vegetables.  I can _never _get her to even go near them."

Maria turned around to look at the Captain, and her wide eyes showed her surprise.   "Well, it really wasn't much, but it served its purpose," she told him.  Inwardly, she smiled to herself as she recalled the conversation.

The Captain leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.  "You have _me _wondering now," he grinned.

"Well," she said with a shrug, "I told her that she could be in charge on tomorrow's outing if she ate half of her beans and that she'd get a turn once a week from now on if she ate her _whole_ pile."

"I see," the Captain said with a grin.  "Isn't that the way it works now?"

"Well yes, but she doesn't know that.  She still asks every day if it's her turn to decide.  She'll soon realize there are seven days in a week and seven children in this family," Maria chuckled. 

The Captain shook his head slightly and grinned.  His smile faded and he again met Maria's gaze.  He sighed deeply as their eyes locked again.

For a long moment, they stared at each other in silence, until suddenly Maria stepped backwards and broke the connection.  "Goodnight, Sir" she said with a final nod in his direction.

The Captain smiled at her and they each turned in opposite directions and walked down the corridor to try to get a few more hours of sleep in before morning.


	4. Chapter 4

The Captain woke up early the next morning. As he lay in his bed trying to see what time it was, he could just make out the muffled chattering of his children, the loud clanging of _something_, and the occasional interjection from their fräulein. Giving up on the clock across the room, he rolled over and glanced at his pocket watch on the nightstand, noting that it was only 8:00AM.

"Do they ever sleep?" he thought. Shaking his head, he got out of bed and readied himself for the day.

He headed downstairs and followed the laughter and noise until he arrived in the kitchen. The sight before him was none like he had ever seen before and he instinctively opened his eyes wide with genuine surprise. The Captain glanced around in shock, taking in the chocolate that seemed to be splattered _everywhere,_ his two youngest daughters giggling uncontrollably while mixing _something_, and Louisa and Kurt complaining about _something_ to a clearly frazzled Fräulein Maria.

"Settle down, children," Maria called to them upon noticing the Captain entering the room.

"Oh Father! Look at this!" a rather excited Brigitta exclaimed upon turning around and seeing him. She ran over and held up a bowl filled with what appeared to be some sort of chocolate. "Fräulein Maria put _me _in charge of making the frosting for our cake!"

"Try it. It's good," Kurt told him while running up behind his sister and sticking his finger into the bowl, taking a big taste. Laughing, he scooted out of the way to avoid Brigitta's attempted push, and ran to the other side of the room where he broke into hysterics as he relayed the story to Louisa and Friedrich.

Brigitta pouted and hugged the bowl tighter to her chest. "Fräulein Maria! Kurt's eating my frosting again!" she cried, as if it was the worst thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life.

"Kurt! What did I tell you earlier? Come over here this instant!" Maria said firmly as she approached him with her hands on her hips.

Reluctantly he walked over to her with a deep frown on his face and glanced downward toward the floor. "I'm sorry," he said glumly.

"Tell your sister," Maria answered in a curt tone, motioning for Brigitta to come over.

Kurt turned to Brigitta and began to apologize when a crash sounded from the opposite side of the room. Everyone looked upwards and beheld a wide-eyed Gretl, a big-lipped Marta, and a large pile of white mush on the ground in front of them.

"We didn't mean it," Marta barely whispered through a quivering lip. As her words broke the silence of the room, her eyes began to tear and she looked upwards to Maria.

"It just happened," Gretl said in a small voice, also looking towards Maria with wide eyes.

Maria sighed softly and walked over to the mess. She held her hand up to both of them, urging them to control their tears and stroked each of their cheeks. "Accidents happen," she told them with a soft smile and a shrug.

"Liesl, please boil some more potatoes so that Marta and Gretl can make more potato salad, and Friedrich and Louisa, please clean up your sisters' mess for me," she instructed.

Noticing the silent protests forming on Friedrich and Louisa's faces, she raised her eyebrow. "Don't think I didn't see the two of you sneaking up behind your little sisters _just _before _this _happened," she chided.

They regarded her with feigned looks of shock for a moment before breaking into mischievous smiles. "All right," Friedrich conceded with a sullen look. He and Louisa approached the mess and began to clean the pile of spilled potato salad, which more closely resembled potato soup after the vigorous mixing it had endured before its fall.

Maria glanced upwards toward the Captain and smiled meekly at him, hoping the chaos had not angered him. 

He smiled faintly at her and shook his head in mock disbelief.

"All right, everyone!" Maria shouted through the once-again hectic room. She clapped her hands together to get their attention and soon everyone was looking at her. "Liesl, finish the sandwiches and keep an eye on the boiling potatoes. Brigitta and Marta, finish frosting the cake. Kurt, gather together some plates, cups, and silverware for us to use. Fried—"

"Fräuelin Maria?" Marta interrupted with a tug at her governess' sleeve.

Maria sighed with impatience, but quickly recovering, looked downwards and smiled at the shy little girl. "Yes, darling?"

"Can I decorate the top of the cake?" she asked timidly.

Maria nodded and caressed Marta's hair briefly. "Of course, dear. There are cherries and nuts you can use, but only after Brigitta's frosted it, please."

Marta smiled broadly and nodded her understanding.

Maria looked around the room and soon returned her attention to her charges. "Now, Louisa and Friedrich, finish cleaning up that mess and then start packing the picnic baskets. The lemonade and fruit salad are ready, and the rest will be finished shortly. And—" she trailed, pausing and twisting her mouth in thought.

"And, that's it I think. Now go on so we can leave at a decent hour," Maria told them with a definite nod. She glanced at her watch and sighed, noting that they were already running late.

"What about me?" Gretl said with a pout, while placing her hands on her hips.

Maria looked over at the melodramatic child and smiled. She held out her hand for the little girl, and Gretl walked to her, taking hold of it. "Sweetheart, did you forget that you're in charge today, so that means that _you _get to make sure everyone is doing what they should be?"

Gretl put her hands down to her sides and smiled up at her governess, nodding with enthusiasm. "Ohhh! I forgot!" She looked smugly around at the others who shook their heads softly or rolled their eyes to each other.

Bending over toward Gretl, Maria kissed her on the forehead and scooped her up in her arms, resting her weight on her hip. She didn't even have a chance to notice the Captain walking her way, as she was trying to collect her thoughts, pay attention to Gretl, and make sure that no other catastrophes occurred, all at the same time.

"Good morning, Fraulein. Your domestic skills shining through, I see?" he greeted her with a raised eyebrow. 

He regarded her surprised look for a moment, before continuing to speak. "Someone should have woken me up for the fun," he said while playfully tapping Gretl on the nose and casting a small half-smile at Maria.

"Everything is completely under control, Sir," Maria retorted with a forced smile. She met his gaze and looked at him with wide eyes.

"I see," he said with a disbelieving nod and small smile.

At his display, Maria broke into a broad grin without realizing it. She met his gaze and swore she could see the laughter coming from deep within his soul through his twinkling eyes. "Oh all right. You caught me," she chuckled.

"I always catch you, Fräulein. Should I remind you of the uh, what were they called, _play clothes_ I believe. Or of the midnight jumping on bed routine you felt the need to teach my children, was it your, uh, _first_ night with us?" he quipped.

"You don't need to remind me," she laughed. "But your point is well taken. I apologize."

The Captain gave her a sidelong glance and smiled at the stubborn look that had suddenly appeared on her face. "Something you don't do too often?"

Maria grinned softly and intensified her gaze at him. "I'm not wrong too often," she replied.

"Oh, I see!" the Captain laughed while casting her a skeptical glance.

Maria chuckled. "All right maybe _sometimes_. Like when I decided to let the children pack the lunch for our outing today," she said in a low voice so that Gretl wouldn't hear.

After a brief pause, Maria continued to speak. "I thought it'd be fun for the children to do it themselves this one time instead of having Cook make our food. I hope I was not out of line for suggesting this?" she asked him honestly.  
  
The Captain shook his head quickly, as if to dismiss her question, and his face became more serious. "Not at all. I trust your judgment. And I also remember placing you in command on your first afternoon with us. I think this would include cooking with seven children, don't you?"  
  
Maria couldn't help but let out a small smile, despite the flutter in her stomach as the undeniable feeling that he was watching her more intently than necessary surfaced. She diverted his gaze for a moment, thinking that maybe she was reading into the situation, but instinctively turned to him again, unable to resist.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the serious expression on his face as he stood there cross-armed, staring her blank in the face. As they locked eyes, her smile faded.

After a moment, Maria looked away, forcing herself to find the breath that she seemed to have lost while under his spell. She glanced around the room absently and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Gretl leaned her head on Maria's shoulder and played with one of the buttons on her dirndl, but Maria barely noticed in her surreal state.

Suddenly, she regained her composure and glanced upwards at the clock on the wall. Realizing once again where she was, Maria gasped and placed Gretl to the ground.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she raised her voice so that everyone could hear her. "Children! Please go upstairs to get ready and we'll meet in the front hall in twenty minutes."  
  
The children began to scurry from the kitchen, leaving Maria with her back to the one person she knew she should be far away from at the moment. She could feel his eyes burning into her back, as she stood motionless in front of him, and dreaded turning around to face him out of fear that she would not be able to look away again. 

"Where are you taking them today?" the Captain asked softly.

"A picnic on the mountains near where I grew up. Probably my favorite place in all of Salzburg," she said lowly, her back still turned to him.

"They'll love it."

"I hope so," she replied, hoping that her voice was calm enough to hide her nervousness and anxiety.

"Maria," he said in a soft voice, making her turn toward him out of surprise. He had never called her by solely her first name before.

She looked up at him and could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she waited an eternity for him to say what it was that had prompted him to call out to her.

The Captain stared at her, a million thoughts running through his mind but none of them making their way to his lips. Softly, he smiled at her. "Have fun today," he whispered.

"Thank you, Sir," Maria said lowly, meeting his gaze one last time. Reluctantly, she moved her eyes from his and hurried from the room to check on the children.


	5. Chapter 5

"Fräulein Maria, what will Father say when he sees us?" Brigitta asked while shaking a handful of her wet hair towards Kurt. She giggled as she caught him off guard and watched the surprise on his face as the cold water hit his skin.

Kurt frowned at the large wet mark she had left on his arm. With a slight scowl towards his sister, he brushed her away and reached upwards to try to pull her hair.

Intercepting the attack and casting a reproachful glance at both of them, Maria reached forward to take Gretl's hand as the group crossed the street. She instinctively looked behind her for Marta, and was relieved to see that Liesl had led her across the road.

Maria met Liesl's gaze and cast her a thankful look.

"He'll probably be _happy_ that we ruined our clothes," Louisa laughed. As if expecting it, she turned around just as Friedrich was about to snatch her handkerchief off of her head, and glowered at him.

"He never _did _like our play clothes much," Liesl said with a glance downward at the once-drapes that had been transformed into seven unique outfits.

"No he didn't. Even if he lets us wear them now, I think he'll be glad that they're ruined," Friedrich added in agreement while taking a second chance at stealing his sister's wet kerchief.

Louisa batted him out of the way and cast him a dirty look, as if daring him to try again.

"Oh children, they're just a little wet and dirty that's all. Nothing a soak in the tub won't fix," Maria assured them.

"I hope he won't blame you that we're so messy, Fräulein Maria," Marta told her in a small voice, suddenly looking upwards with worried eyes.

"Well it _is _my fault," Maria told her with a shrug. "_I _took us swimming today, _I _allowed everyone to play in the dirt, _I_ forgot to bring a spare change of clothes for everyone, and _I'm_ returning seven soaked children to him."

Brigitta and Louisa giggled at her frank reply.

"But I hope he isn't too cross with you," Marta said softly.

Kurt waved his sister's statement off sarcastically and shook his head at her. "He won't get mad at Fräulein Maria. He likes her too much," he asserted with a definite nod.

"Oh?" Maria asked with feigned non-chalance.

"That's because _we _love her," Gretl told him with a roll of her eyes as she tapped her governess on the upper arm and held her arms upwards toward her. "Right, Fräulein Maria?"

"Of course, dear," Maria agreed with a forced smile. Giving in to Gretl's pleas to pick her up, she bent down and scooped the child into her arms, resting her weight on her hip. Out of the corner of her eye, Maria thought that she saw Liesl and Brigitta exchange a knowing look upon hearing her reaction to Kurt's remark. Looking upwards, she contemplated what she had seen for a moment, but quickly dismissed the thought, concluding that she was reading into the children's observations.

Liesl locked eyes with her for a brief moment and gave her a small smile.

Maria returned the gesture feebly. Moving her gaze away, she felt Gretl drawing circles on her forehead among the wet bangs that were matted to her face. Absently, she leaned forward to place a kiss on the little girl's forehead, her mind still contemplative.

"Stop!" Louisa shrieked while turning behind her toward Friedrich, who had finally succeeded in ripping her handkerchief off of her head.

The sound brought Maria's attention back, and she looked upwards right away. "Darling, go down," she told Gretl, placing the child to her feet. Without a second of hesitation, the little girl ran ahead of the group to a small pile of wildflowers growing near the side of the road and began to pluck them.

"What happened?" Maria asked a scowling Louisa and a gloating Friedrich. She stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips, sighing once with impatience.

"Friedrich stole my handkerchief," Louisa grumbled while reaching towards her brother and snatching the cloth out of his hands.

Maria cast a chiding look at Friedrich and returned her gaze to Louisa. "Well you have it back now and it won't happen again," she assured the angry girl while motioning to the fabric. She again looked at Friedrich and gave him a look, forbidding him from taking the handkerchief again.

Feeling a tickle on her leg, Maria turned around and found Gretl running a flower across her skin while she giggled heartily. Marta stood not far behind, observing the scene with her hands to her mouth in order to stifle her giggles.

Maria smiled at the two of them softly for a moment and then her smile broadened. Suddenly, she lunged forward toward both of them and began to tickle both of them on their stomachs.

Gretl made a quick getaway towards Liesl, hiding behind her eldest sister's body, and Marta ran forward giggling. The rest of the children smiled at the display.

Soon the group approached the main gate to the Trapp Villa and Maria stopped everyone, turning to face them. "When we go inside, everyone be very quiet and _quickly _go upstairs to your rooms and change."

"Are we sneaking in so that Father won't see us?" Brigitta asked with a mischievous smile.

"Well, I wouldn't use the word _sneak, _but there's no harm done if he doesn't see us," Maria replied.

All of the children glanced sidelong at each other and smiled naughtily, choosing to think of their entrance as a _sneak _despite their governess' words.

"I'm going to get some hot tea for everyone so that we don't catch a cold and I'll be right up after that to help you get ready for dinner, all right?" Maria said while glancing between all of the children.

Noting their nods and broad smiles, she winked at them and held her hand up, motioning them forward. "Let's go."

The group approached the front door to the Villa and Maria opened it a crack, holding her hand up to her charges, urging them to wait. Not hearing anything inside, she opened the door fully and turned back to the children.

"Go on," she whispered.

The two little ones nodded at her with wide eyes and serious faces and the others merely smiled. Everyone began to move into the main foyer of the house. Looking from side to side, the children tiptoed to the stairs and walked quietly up them.

Maria watched them ascend the stairwell and one by one head off in the direction of their rooms.

"Fräulein Maria, we made it!" Gretl whispered in a slightly louder voice than necessary when she reached the second story, the last child in line.

Maria blew her a kiss and nodded enthusiastically at the child. Seeing that Gretl's movement had been sidetracked by the proud grin she was giving to her governess, Maria waved her on.

Gretl's eyes suddenly widened and her lips formed a surprised look at the reminder. She nodded her understanding and smiling even more broadly, hurriedly turned and ran after her siblings.

Maria stared upwards in their direction for another moment, before shaking her head slightly and smiling to herself. She began to walk straight ahead towards the kitchen to look for Frau Schmidt, when the slightest sound caught her attention. Approaching the salon, she stood just before the entrance when low murmuring caused her to stiffen in her tracks outside of the door.

Instinctively glancing upwards towards the sound, Maria froze at the sight. In the middle of the room was the Baroness, who was leaning seductively towards the Captain as he sat on the sofa with his back to the doorway. Maria felt her stomach knot and feared that she'd be sick on the spot when Elsa began placing soft kisses on his left cheek.

"Oh Georg, I missed you today," she purred with a coy pout. "But it must have been _such _a relief to be rid of little, old me for a full day, hmm?" The Baroness chuckled softly and placed another kiss on his cheek.  
  
The Captain leaned slightly away from her, but out of habit took her hand in his. He patted it reassuringly and gave his fiancée a forced smile. "The house was quiet today with everyone gone."  
  
Maria would have turned around had her whole body not been paralyzed with shock. Instead, she absently gripped the side of the doorframe to steady herself.

"Well Gretchen's a dear, but I just couldn't wait to get back to you," Elsa whispered in the Captain's ear as she lightly nibbled on his earlobe.  
  
"Elsa," he interrupted with an awkward smile, moving his head to the side slightly out of her reach.

"What's the matter, Georg?" she asked with a raised brow that melted into a flirtatious smile. "Your little dears are out."

Maria's eyes welled with tears and her breathing increased as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. She absently raised her hand to her mouth and backed up away from the doorway, desperate to get away but not composed enough to turn and run out of sight.

She stayed still for another moment, taking in the nightmare before her and feeling her heart break a little more at each movement she saw. Finally able to calm her initial shock and compose herself enough to move, she turned around and took a step toward the stairs.

However, her footsteps did not go unnoticed, and almost immediately she heard _him _call her name.  
  
"Uh Fraulein, I hadn't heard you enter." The Captain stood up and Elsa reluctantly followed his lead.

Maria closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath, praying that she'd have regained enough composure to speak coherently without her emotions taking over. Slowly, she turned to face the man she loved and his fiancée.

"Good evening, Captain. Baroness," Maria forced herself to say.

The Captain looked at her and they locked eyes for a moment before Maria looked away. His gaze was filled with apology, compassion, and love, but Maria's own eyes were too clouded to notice.

"How was your day with the children?" he asked her in a low voice, his eyes silently pleading with her to talk to him.

"My dear, you're soaking wet," the Baroness interrupted with an appalled look.

Maria glanced upwards toward the Baroness. She reached toward her sopping hair and fingered it absently. "Yes. Uh, our day was fine. We went swimming," she said in a small voice.

"Frau Schmidt should bring you some tea. If not, you'll all catch a cold before you know it," Elsa suggested with a disapproving shake of her head. "Shall I have her bring some up for you?"

Maria nodded vaguely. "Yes, Baroness. That would be lovely."

She paused for a moment and nobody in the room spoke at all. "The children will be downstairs for dinner in a while after they've dried off, but if you'll excuse me, I won't be joining everyone tonight. I must be run down from a full day," Maria lied, looking directly past the Captain and Baroness.

The Captain's face softened with concern and he was unable to look away from Maria, despite her diverting gaze.

"So much child's play can do that, even to someone as used to it as you. I'm sorry you're not feeling well, dear," the Baroness said with a forced frown and insincere smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Baroness," Maria whispered. She had a sudden feeling of lightheadedness as she felt the Captain's eyes boring into her profile. Looking upwards, she met his gaze one final time. Her voice caught slightly as she spoke. "Good night. Now if you'll excuse me."  
  
She turned and quickly walked out of the dining room, praying God for the strength to keep her tears from flowing until she had reached her room. However, as she climbed the stairs, her shoulders slouched and her entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

The Captain remained stationary, stunned by the scene that had just occurred. Despite Elsa's animated chatter in the background, Georg did not take his eyes off of the doorway. His fiancee's attempt to distract him faded away and all Georg could think about was that for the second time since Maria had arrived, he needed to do what was right and he needed to do it soon. But this time it would not involve the children.


	6. Chapter 6

_I owe many thanks to Ernest Lehman's brilliant screenplay for the next chapter and a half. I debated changing the verbiage or basically alluding to it in my story, but felt that I really would not change anything about either scene and that leaving it out created a gap in my story that I did not want to have. I have put my own spin on both scenes (I think you can guess which!), so enjoy! Thank you for all of the lovely reviews so far :) -emartin_

* * *

Georg sat upstairs in his study deep in thought. He had excused himself from Max and Elsa a few moments earlier, saying that he had a phone call he needed to make in private. He hated to lie to them, but he needed some time alone to think; the word 'alone' didn't seem to be part of either's vocabulary.

He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, expelling some of his anxiety in knowing that soon he would return downstairs and possibly break Elsa's heart. But it was what needed to be done. He had never been more certain of anything. 

But why then, was it such a difficult thing to do?

Getting up from his chair and walking towards the balcony, Georg absently moved outside and looked out over the lake. He stared off into the night, a million thoughts running through his head, and the answer to his question suddenly obvious.

He knew why this was so hard. Elsa was beautiful, charming, sophisticated, the perfect woman for a wealthy aristocrat like himself. She had an approachable air about her that had drawn him to her when he was at the peak of his loneliness. He had needed a friend, a distraction, _something _to take his mind off of his problems and to keep him from wallowing in his own sorrow. And Elsa had come along at exactly the right time, helping him to live again.

Yet, as much as he had tried to tell himself that he was in love with her, he knew in the back of his mind that he was fooling himself and her. He loved her as a friend, yes. But over time, they had come to value different things in life, to expect different things out of life. As lovely as she was, Elsa just did not have that joie de vie that Georg needed. That lighhearted joy that—

_'Maria had,' _he murmured out loud when, as if in a dream, Maria instantly appeared down by the lake.  
  
She strolled through the moonlight in her pale blue dress and Georg could not keep his eyes off of her.

"There you are," a familiar voice said behind him, stirring him from his reverie. 

Quickly, he turned around to find Elsa standing next to him in a bold red dress that exemplified her sophistication as much as Maria's blue dress epitomized her innocence. He had not been expecting anyone to interrupt his privacy and his surprise caused him to stiffen.

He smiled at her, partially out of respect, partially out of habit, and partially out of guilt for the conversation he was about to initiate. Absently, he glanced again in Maria's direction and felt a sense of peace come over him as he watched her.   
  
Following Georg's gaze, Elsa glanced downward and took a deep breath at the realization that had just hit her full force; Georg was truly in love with Maria. She had suspected it for weeks, but had tried to deny it, labeling it an infatuation and telling herself that he would get over it. But as she watched him now, she knew that this would never happen. His love for the young girl was clearly written across his face.  
  
"I really must speak to cook about the Weiner Schnitzel. It is entirely _too_ delicious for my figure and it makes you much too quiet at the dinner table. Or was it the wine?" Elsa said with a flirtatious front, in an attempt to hide her own emotions.  
  
"Uh... undoubtedly the wine, " Georg answered distantly.  
  
"You have no idea what trouble I'm having trying to decide what to give you for a wedding present, Oh of course I know that I'm enough," Elsa said with a light chuckle, feeling an unfamiliar sense of nervousness consume her.

She smiled coyly at Georg. "But I do want to give you some little trifle for the occasion. At first I thought of a fountain pen, but you've already got one. And then I thought perhaps a villa in the south of France, but they are so difficult to gift-wrap. Oh, Georg, how do you feel about yachts? A long, sleek one for the Mediterranean and a tiny one for your bathtub, hmm?"   
  
"Elsa," Georg said lowly with an air of seriousness to his voice, knowing that the sooner he told her his feelings, the easier it would be on both of them.  
  
"And where to go on our honeymoon? Now that is the real problem. At first I thought a trip around the world would be lovely. Then I said 'Oh Elsa, there must be _someplace _better to go?' Don't worry, darling, " she rambled on.

Her heart was beating rapidly as she tried to prepare herself for the rejection that she knew was coming. She was used to men fawning over her, just wishing that she would bat her eyelashes in their direction or give them the honor of one dance. Yet, she knew that the one man who _could _have her needed more than that, and the thought brought forth insecurities that she did not even know existed within her.   
  
"Look, Elsa," Georg interrupted.

"Yes, Georg?"  
  
He looked her in the eyes, having finally caught her attention. "It's no use, you and I. I'm being dishonest to both of us, and utterly unfair to you. When two people speak of marriage--" he trailed.  
  
Elsa knew this tone of voice well. For weeks she had feared this moment, but in the back of her mind she never really thought that it would occur. Yet as she stood here with Georg, she realized that even if they were to marry, deep down she would never have him fully. She could become his wife and seemingly appear to have everything. And she _would_ have anything that money could buy. But all the money in the world could never give her Georg's heart. She knew now as she watched him that his heart would always belong to Maria.  
  
"No don't. Don't say another word, Georg. Please. You see there are other things I've been thinking of. Fond as I am of you, I really don't think that you're the right man for me. You're much too independent and I need someone who needs me desperately. Or at least needs my _money_ desperately. I've enjoyed every moment we've had together. I do thank you for that. Now if you'll forgive me, I'll go inside, pack my little bags, and return to Vienna where I belong," she told him with a forced smile. 

She felt tears welling in her eyes, but wanted to assure him that she understood his motives and approved of him following his heart. She did, after all, care for him and wanted to see him happy. Turning towards him one last time, Elsa looked Georg in the eyes. She moved her gaze to Maria down below before once again locking eyes with him. "And somewhere out there is a young lady who I think will never be a nun."  
  
Upon hearing Elsa's subtle blessing, Georg instantly felt a wave of relief and could not help but smile slightly. A sense of peace came over him as he felt Elsa give him one last kiss on the cheek, and he knew that he had made the right decision.  
  
"Auf Wiedersehen, darling, " she whispered before turning and walking out of his home and his life forever.


	7. Chapter 7

Maria sat alone on a stone bench behind the Villa. She looked downward to her lap and tears began to well in her eyes as she thought about how complicated her life had become in the past few weeks.

She had come to the Von Trapp's home as a postulant, resolute on spending some time with the family and then returning to the abbey to fulfill her vows. But now she did not know where she belonged. She was certain that she did not belong in the novitiate, and her shoulders slouched as she thought of the Captain's pending marriage to Baroness Schraeder; Maria knew she was not meant to stay here either.

"Hello," a low, masculine voice greeted her.  
  
Startled, she quickly sat up and spun herself around to find the object of her grief standing by a tree watching her intently.  
  
"I thought I just might find you here," the Captain continued with a small smile.

Quickly dismissing his presence as merely a business inquiry and knowing that she had no choice but to respond to his statement, Maria took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Was there something you wanted?" she asked softly after a brief hesitation. She stood up and faced him. Her entire body began to tremble and absently she started to wring her wrists in front of her. 

"Hmm? Uh... no, no, no, no. Sit down, please, " he quickly told her, realizing all at once that he had startled her and that his presence was making her nervous.

"Please," he persisted with a pleading look, motioning to the bench when he noticed that she had not moved at all.

Reluctantly Maria sat down again. Upon hearing the awkward silence in the air, she cast her gaze to her lap, nervous that making eye contact with the Captain would allow him to see right through her.

"Uh...may I?" he asked, motioning to the opposite end of the stone bench. 

Maria softly nodded. She felt her heart rate quicken, fearing the conversation that she knew the Captain would initiate.

Georg sat down and looked out over the lake, collecting his thoughts. He knew what he wanted to tell Maria, but didn't know how to begin. The last thing that he wanted to do was frighten or hurt her more than she already was, so he knew that he had to be very careful in how he approached her.

Absently, Maria glanced at him, but just as quickly returned her gaze to her lap, when she found him watching her with a small half-smile on his face.  
  
Finally confident, he began to speak. "You know, I've been thinking...and wondering…uh...two things. _Why_ did you run away to the abbey and _what_ was it that made you come back?"   
  
Maria closed her eyes and looked Heavenward for a moment. "Well, I had an obligation to fulfill and I came back to fulfill it," she told him softly.

"Is that all?" he persisted, knowing by looking at her that she still had something on her mind.  
  
"And I missed the children, " she sighed, again looking Heavenward. With each thought she revealed to him, she felt her façade being slowly stripped away.

"Yes," he murmured, knowing how much Maria loved his children. With a slight hesitation, he turned to her and continued to speak. "Only the children?"  
  
"No," she replied absently. However, suddenly realizing what she had just said, Maria turned defensively to him. "Yes! Isn't it right I should have missed them?"   
  
"Oh yes, yes, of course!" he reassured her with a hint of amusement in his voice at her reaction. "I was only hoping that perhaps you...perhaps you might…" he trailed.  
  
"Yes?" she asked softly.

"Well," Georg began and then hesitated slightly, his words once again escaping him. "Things weren't the same when you were gone and it'll be all wrong again when you leave and I just thought perhaps you might...change your mind?"

He looked at her, hoping that she had understood his hidden plea, but her slouched shoulders and sad eyes immediately told him that she had not.  
  
Feeling her heart break at the thought of being asked to stay at the Villa and watch the man she loved marry another woman, Maria took a deep breath to try to control her tears. She stood up, needing to get away from _him_, and praying that her voice would not reveal how she felt when she answered him.

"I'm sure the Baroness will make everything _fine_ for you," she retorted while walking towards the nearby gazebo. A pain filled her heart as she realized that she had just made the decision that had been plaguing her for weeks; she would have to leave the family again, this time for good. She just couldn't stay here, even for the children.

"Maria?" he called in a serious tone. "There isn't going to be any Baroness."  
  
She hesitated slightly, uncertain that she had heard correctly. "There isn't?"

"No."

"I don't understand," she said with a questioning glance at him.

"Well, we've called off our engagement you see and…" he trailed, feeling an unfamiliar sense of nervousness consume him.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Maria absently muttered.

"Yes. You are?"

"Mm hmm," she murmured, his words not really registering in her mind as she focused instead on avoiding his eyes as the Captain continued to move closer to her with each step, watching her the entire time. 

However, suddenly realizing what he had just told her- that he was no longer engaged- Maria turned to him wide-eyed. "You did?"  
  
Slowly they moved toward the glass wall of the gazebo, each initially looking to the other with curiosity. Nervousness consumed both of them as they locked eyes and felt their hearts call out to each other, as they had so many times before. As they gazed deep into each other's souls, they knew. Just as they had the night when they had danced together at the party. However, there was no more denying it, no more distractions stopping them from giving their souls completely to each other.

"Yes. Well you can't marry someone when you're in love with someone else," Georg whispered. "Can you?"  
  
Slowly Maria shook her head, never removing her gaze from his. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and felt as if she could have fainted on the spot if she had not been so completely in shock.

Intensifying his gaze, Georg reached up and tenderly caressed her chin. He urged her towards him with a gentle touch, and their lips met.   
  
They pulled apart and for a moment mutely gazed into each other's eyes.

Maria instinctively sighed and placed her head on his chest. "The Reverend Mother always says that 'when the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window'."

Georg urged her away from him and cocked her chin upwards, meeting her gaze. "What else does the Reverend Mother say?" he asked her with a small smile.

"That you have to look for your life."

"Is that why you came back?" he asked earnestly.

Maria closed her eyes and nodded. As the question she had been dreading all evening finally surfaced, she no longer was embarrassed of her answer. She had followed her heart and the Lord had led her into the arms of the man that she loved.   
  
"And have you found it, Maria?"

He could feel in her kiss and see in her eyes that she reciprocated his love and wanted to be with him. However, he wanted to make sure that she fully realized what this meant so that she would not regret leaving her life at the abbey later.

Maria looked up at him. "I think I have." 

After a brief moment of thought, she locked eyes with him, knowing how certain she was herself, but needing Georg to also know this. "I know I have."

"I love you, " he said with an intensity that she had never seen before.

Slowly, Georg leaned forward to kiss her, softly at first yet growing more passionate when she placed her arms around his neck. He embraced the woman he loved and drew her closer to him, loving the way she felt in his arms and never wanting to let her go.  
  
"Maria?" he whispered into her ear as she tenderly kissed his cheeks. "Is there anyone I should go to to ask permission to marry you?"  
  
Maria moved away from him so that she could look him in the eyes. His words rang in her ears and she felt a smile forming on her face. She pulled him closer to her and placed her forehead against his. "Well, why don't we ask…" she started with a small smile.

"…the children," they simultaneously completed together, and dissolved into broad grins.

Georg's smile slowly faded and he reached upwards and stroked Maria's cheek, regarding her with a serious expression. "Will you be my wife, Maria?"

Her demeanor became more serious and she locked eyes with him. Unable to control her happiness, she beamed with joy and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will, Georg," she told him as tears of joy formed in her eyes.

Georg drew her to him and left light kisses from her temple down her hairline as he ran his hands over her back. "I've been dreaming of hearing you say that to me," he whispered in her ear.

As he reached upwards to wipe a tear away from her eye, Maria sighed deeply, thinking about how quickly her world had changed. "I feel like _I'm_ dreaming," she admitted while meeting his gaze.

"Well if I'm dreaming, then I don't ever want to wake up," he murmured. Leaning forward, Georg placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

He reached his hands upward and placed one on either one of her cheeks. Gently, he moved towards her and placed his lips to hers. "Does _this_ feel like you're dreaming," he barely whispered, again kissing her softly.

They parted after a moment and Maria shook her head mutely, her face serious and her eyes focused on him.

"You're beautiful," Georg told her in a low voice. His eyes shone with happiness as he regarded her closely. He brushed her cheek with the back of his palm and smiled slightly.

Maria felt her cheeks redden at the compliment and leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. "How long have you known?" She smiled and paused a brief moment as she opened her eyes. "How you felt."

"Too long," he admitted with a light shake of his head. He brushed a loose strand of hair off of her forehead. "But I just didn't realize it until that night at the party when we danced. I remember holding you and looking into your eyes. There was no doubt anymore."

"Me too," she confided with a sigh of relief. She knit her brow and cast her gaze downward for a second. "I was just scared to death of the truth. I thought I had done something wrong."

"So you left," Georg added, looking at her closely. "I thought I had lost you forever and the idea nearly drove me mad during those two weeks. I would have come to the abbey to find you if you hadn't come back when you did."

Maria's gaze softened and she began to run her hands across the nape of his neck. "I thought about you day and night the entire time. As much as I tried to forget."

Georg closed his eyes at Maria's soft touch, trying to suppress the spark that it was igniting in him. Opening his eyes slowly, he reached upwards to trace the outline of her lips. "Every day I'd answer a million questions about whether or not you were coming back and each time I told the children 'no', it felt like another stake was driven into my heart. At night, I'd walk by your room, hoping that you'd be there. But you never were, so I would just go back to my room and spend most of the night reliving our last moment together in my mind."

"I'm back now and I'll never leave again," she assured him with a loving smile, leaning very close to his chest.

"Oh my love," he mused, drawing her to him and holding her tightly in his arms.

Maria smiled lowly and closed her eyes. She sighed when Georg urged her away from him and kissed her forehead. Slowly, she re-opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "When should we tell the children?"

He grinned. "I don't see any reason to wait longer than breakfast tomorrow. In fact, I don't know if I _could_ keep it a secret much longer," he quipped as he leaned forward to brush Maria's temple with his lips.

She smiled with genuine excitement. "I hope they'll be as excited as we are."

Georg released a low chuckle. "They'll be _beyond _excited. Trust me. They love you _almost _as much as I do," he assured her with a small half-smile.

"_Almost_?" Maria asked with feigned surprise. Slowly her gaze softened into a playful grin.

He smiled at her response. "All right. _As much_ as I do. You do know they already consider you their mother, don't you?" he asked her with a warm smile.

Maria felt tears well in her eyes at the implication. She nodded. "I love them all so dearly, Georg."

"I know you do. You'll be a wonderful mother to them," he told her with a serious look. Placing his hands upon her shoulders and gently massaging them, he leaned forward and left a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll do my best," she said earnestly, looking at him wide-eyed.

"You don't even have to try, Maria," he barely whispered, watching her with awe. "You're a natural."

Slowly, he leaned forward and found her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to him, savoring the closeness of the woman he loved. The smell of her hair and the sweetness of her breath gave him sensations that he had not felt for a long time and instinctively he tightened his arms around her.

Maria let out a low moan and absently began to run her hands through his hair, not realizing the affect such an action could have on a man. She had never felt such excitement, such longing for more, and found herself getting completely lost in the moment.

"Maria," Georg lowly growled in her ear. Moving his head back, he looked her deep in the eyes and could see the love and spark of desire from deep within her.

Softly he sighed and leaned forward to place a kiss on either one of her eyelids. "Let me walk you to your room. It's getting late."

Maria smiled innocently and without realizing it, moved her hand over the nape of his neck again. "I'm not tired," she said with a grin.

Georg's initial smile upon hearing her protest slowly faded into a serious look as she continued to caress his skin. Despite his reluctance, he knew that he would need to initiate the boundaries for their physical intimacy. The idea of even putting Maria in a situation where she would not be able to say 'no' and then might regret her choice later was not even an option; he cared for her too much.

"I _certainly _don't want to leave you either. But we really must—" he trailed, still regarding her with an intensity that spoke for itself.

Suddenly Maria's eyes opened wide with realization and she laid her hands stationary against his collar. She felt a heat creeping up on her cheeks and smiled sheepishly. "I'm new to this, Georg."

He reached upwards and stroked her chin with his thumb, urging her to look at him. "I love you," he told her with a reassruing look

Maria smiled at him, the seriousness on his face assuring her that she did not have to be embarassed or scared of her naivete; Georg would be with her and guide her through these new experiences. "And I love you," she replied, the crimson color in her face slowly fading.

He leaned forward and brushed her temple with his lips. "Come, darling," he said while offering her his arm.

She took it and they began to move up the walkway to the terrace when Maria suddenly stopped and turned to Georg warily. "Is the Baroness still here?"

He shook his head. "No, she left for Vienna. It's just us."

Maria sighed with relief and they resumed their stroll. "Us. And seven children," she reminded him with a smile to herself. She stroked his hand as he escorted her up the steps of the terrace and leaned her head against his shoulder

"Ah yes," he smiled, but then paused and feigned annoyance. "And Max."

Maria released a light chuckle. "Oh he's not so bad."

"I know he isn't. But he is just _too _much fun to tease," Georg quipped. Glancing towards her and smiling he continued in a more serious tone. "He thinks very highly of you, Maria."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

Georg nodded as they began to ascend the stairwell in the foyer to the second floor. "He's amazed how someone can, oh how did he phrase it, 'wrap seven hooligans and one stubborn captain around her finger and still have time to direct a first-rate performance.' He's referring to the puppet show of course. He's convinced there's a partnership in his future- you'll do the work and he'll get all the money."

Maria laughed more loudly than she should have and Georg had to place his hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, all the while chuckling himself.

"He's quite a character," Maria smiled as they walked down the hallway and approached her bedroom door. Becoming more serious, she turned to him when they stopped in front of her room. "Do you think he'll be happy for us? Since he's so friendly with the Baroness."

Georg shook his head lightly to wave off her question. "He's a friend of mine who happened to get along quite well with Elsa when I introduced them," he assured her.

"Must be the similarity in their personalities," he continued wryly.

Maria nodded and smiled with understanding.

"He'll be delighted for us, my dear," Georg added in a soft voice. He paused. Taking a step closer to her, he placed his hand around her waist and drew her to him, gazing deep into her eyes. "You've made me the happiest man on earth tonight, Maria."

"I still can't believe that this is really happening," Maria sighed, locking eyes with him and reaching her arms upward around his neck. "You've made _all _of my dreams come true tonight, Georg."

Leaning forward, he captured her lips with his own and tightened his embrace around her, pressing her firmly against his chest. They savored each other's kiss and relished in their love until Georg finally pulled away, breathless.

He moved his head back slightly and merely regarded Maria for a moment; his look filled with total love and desire. He reached upwards and brushed one of her reddened cheeks with the back of his palm. "Good night, Maria. I love you."

Reluctantly he dropped his arms to his sides, but reached forward for one of her hands. He brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers tenderly.

Maria smiled at him and reached upwards to stroke his cheek. "Good night, Georg. I love you too," she told him while looking deep into his eyes. With one final smile, she turned around to open her bedroom door and walked inside, closing it lightly behind her.

As Georg watched her go, he sighed deeply and smiled to himself. He felt a calmness come over him that he had not felt in some time; he finally felt complete.


	8. Chapter 8

Maria awoke early the next morning to a light rapping on her door. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand, noting that there was nearly an hour left before breakfast. Another soft knock sounded and she jumped out of bed and put on her robe. Yawning, she walked to the door and instantly dissolved into a broad smile when she opened it.

"Good morning," Georg bid her, the corners of his mouth slightly turning upwards. His look slowly became more serious as they locked eyes.

Maria blushed at the intensity of his stare and instinctively crossed her arms on her chest. "Good morning," she whispered with a modest look. Absently, she reached upwards and smoothed her hair.

"Don't. You look beautiful," he said in a low voice, noticing her action. He reached his hand upwards and stroked her chin gently.

"So I didn't dream this," she sighed, raising her hand towards her face to stroke the back of his palm.

Georg shook his head and looked even deeper into her eyes.

She smiled at him and in a low voice continued to speak. "What if anyone sees us? We haven't told them yet."

He leaned forward and left a light kiss on her lips. "Let them catch us. I had to see you."

Maria smiled modestly and leaned into his palm, as it still caressed her face.

"Uh, may I?" he asked, gesturing to the inside of her room.

Slowly she nodded, never removing her gaze from him as he stepped into the room, turned to shut the door behind them, and walked towards her.

Once in front of her again, Georg reached his hand to Maria's cheek and ran his finger across her jaw line. "Now I can properly say good morning," he said with a loving smile, motioning to the now-closed door.

Maria felt a heat creep up on her face and merely nodded.

Leaning closer, Georg met her lips again, this time starting slow but gradually pulling her closer. He left light kisses down the side of her face from her temple to her ear and Maria tightened her arms around his neck, loving the feelings his closeness evoked in her body and never wanting those sensations to end.

"I should go downstairs," he whispered with reluctance in her ear.

She sighed glumly at the thought but then moved her head back to look at him, a broad grin upon her face. "How should we tell everyone?"

He leaned forward and left a soft kiss on the end of her nose. "Just follow my lead, all right?" He smiled at her and gave her the same look that had been making her heart flutter for weeks.

She nodded and took a deep breath to try to calm her rapidly beating pulse. She leaned close to him and her entire face glowed with happiness when their eyes met. "I'm so excited to tell them, Georg."

He reached his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. "So am I. They'll be overjoyed. I'm certain."

"I hope so," Maria sighed.

"I _know _so." Georg leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. As their lips touched a final time, he took one of her hands and squeezed it. "I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes."

She smiled and stretched her arm out, still holding his hand, as he began to walk away. Finally dropping her arm to her side, Maria stood motionless and smiled like a young girl in love as she watched Georg open the door and leave her room.

* * *

Maria took a deep breath as she approached the dining room a few minutes later. Entering the room, she glanced around the table, noting that some of the children and Georg were already seated; Louisa, Brigitta, and Max had not yet arrived.

"Good morning," Georg bid her with contrived non-chalance.

"Good morning, Captain. Children," Maria answered lowly, feeling her face redden as she felt Georg's eyes on her. She glanced upwards and just barely smiled at him, an action that seemed to go unnoticed by everyone but her fiancé.

"Good morning, Fräulein Maria," the children said together.

Maria smiled at them lovingly and walked around the table to her seat.

"Are you still sick?" Gretl asked, lightly tugging on Maria's sleeve, waiting for an answer.

"Sick?" Maria replied with a puzzled look.

"Yes, you weren't feeling well for dinner last night," Georg reminded her with an amused look.

"Oh that's right," she gasped softly. Meeting Georg's gaze for a brief moment and then turning back to Gretl, Maria smiled at the child. "No, darling, I'm feeling much better today."

Gretl grinned broadly and opened her mouth to say something else when Louisa and Brigitta hurried in, causing all heads to turn their way. They quickly went to their seats and as the two girls were settling themselves, Frau Schmidt entered. The housekeeper placed a platter of _apfelstrudel_ and large plates of eggs and sausage in the center of the table.

"Let's say grace. I see Max is on the late shift again," Georg said dryly, glancing at his watch and then turning to the doorway out of habit, not at all surprised to find it empty.

Maria and the children nodded and bowed their heads.

Georg cleared his throat lightly before folding his hands in his lap. "Lord, bless this food we are about to receive and thank you for the health and family that you have given to us. We are truly grateful. Amen."

"Amen," the rest of the family recited in unison.

Maria reached forward for the platter of eggs and began to scoop some onto Gretl's plate for her. The older children and the Captain helped themselves to the rest of the food and began to pass the platters around the table.

"Children, your new mother and I would like to spend the day with all of you in town We thought we'd leave soon after breakfast, spend the day shopping, and then eat dinner out as a family. How does that sound?" Georg asked the group, smiling to himself at the sullen looks that he immediately saw.

Kurt and Friedrich looked to each other and rolled their eyes discreetly upon hearing that they would be wasting a perfectly good day shopping, and with the Baroness to make matters worse. Louisa and Brigitta turned to each other and pouted slightly. The elder girl flopped backwards in her chair and crossed her arms, resolute on avoiding her father's question and deciding that she would let one of her siblings answer for the entire group.

"What about Fräulein Maria?" Gretl asked brazenly. "She won't have anyone to play with today."

Georg looked upwards and locked eyes with Maria for a second. "Oh, she'll be coming with us," he assured his children without hesitation.

Maria smiled softly and turned her attention to Gretl. She nodded and stroked the little girl's cheek. "Yes, I'll be there, sweetheart."

Gretl and Marta nodded enthusiastically and grinned, but a few of the other children turned to their governess with surprised looks upon their faces. As Maria glanced around the table, she saw Brigitta and Liesl glance at each other with confusion.

"Father, why isn't the Baroness here if we're leaving right after breakfast?" Brigitta asked with an interrogative look in his direction.

Liesl raised her eyebrow at her father and nodded, waiting for an answer to her sister's inquiry. However, as all eyes moved to the Captain, anticipating his explanation, the sound of footsteps in the hallway disrupted the silence. Everyone turned toward the door to find Max sauntering into the room, appearing completely oblivious to the fact that he was quite late for breakfast.

"Good morning, my musical geniuses," he greeted the children, who giggled in response.

"Good morning, Max. I see you decided to join us?" Georg quipped with a small half-grin.

Max stopped mid-step and turned to his friend, a look of feigned shock on his face. "Of course, Georg."

Turning to Maria, Max rolled his eyes animatedly and spoke under his breath. "Do you see the respect I get around here? Doesn't even notice that I'm at breakfast _every_ morning. Late perhaps, but I'm just human." With a shake of his head, he sighed audibly.

"You're in a good mood today, Herr Detweiler," Maria chuckled.

Max glanced upwards to the refilled platter of _apfelstrudel _that Frau Schmidt was placing on the table. Picking a piece of the pastry up and taking a big bite, he closed his eyes with exaggerated satisfaction. "Well the sun is shining, the food is superb, and Georg hasn't asked me to leave yet. I'd say that's reason enough to celebrate."

The children giggled and Maria smiled softly. However, Georg cast a disapproving look at his friend. "Punctuality, Max," he chided a little more loudly than expected while pointing to his watch.

Max waved his friend's statement off casually. "I'm always punctual when it really matters."

"Oh?" Georg asked with a sidelong glance. He cocked his head to the side slightly and raised his eyebrow at his friend. "Or perhaps when there's money in it for you?"

"Well I'd be a fool not to be on time in that case, wouldn't I?" Max answered with a knowing shrug.

Liesl and Friedrich smiled at their uncle.

Looking over to the empty chair where Elsa normally sat, Max shook his head with mock compassion. "Poor Elsa. 'Tis a shame, really, that one of Salzburg's finest establishments abides by such stringent mealtimes. If it weren't for dinner and the fine liquors at night, we'd hardly get any nourishment here," Max said with a shake of his head.

Placing his last bite of strudel into his mouth, Max rubbed his hands together with hunger and surveyed the table, sighing with exaggeration when he noted that most of the hot food was already gone. "What _does_ a man have to do to get a warm meal around here?"

"Maybe showing up at the beginning of breakfast would be a good start," Georg suggested with a tight smile.

Max sighed noticeably. "It's not my fault, Georg. Honestly. I just cannot get my body to agree to such an early schedule. After all, I _do_ need my beauty rest, or else I'm a dreadful bore to be around. And s_omeone _needs to add some excitement to this household. We can't depend on Fräulein Maria _all_ the time, can we?" He looked to Maria and winked.

She cast him an amused smile.

"Perhaps we should start sending the troops in to wake you up on time," Georg suggested while glancing around the table at his children. "That would add some excitement to our morning."

"Very funny," Max answered with a raise of his brow in Georg's direction. He filled his cup with coffee and leaned back in his chair. "Well I suppose I'll wait for Elsa to get up before I eat so that Frau Schmidt and Cook only have to make one more mess before lunch."

Frau Schmidt was standing around the table gathering the dirty dishes and flatware, and she looked up at Max and nodded perfunctorily. "Of course, Herr Detweiler."

The housekeeper started to walk towards the kitchen again with a stack of dishes in her arms. She bumped the swinging door open with her hip and was on the verge of leaving when the Captain called her name.

"Uh, Frau Schmidt, tell Cook to only make enough food for one."

The housekeeper raised her brow at him slightly, but quickly softened her gaze. "Yes, Captain. Of course." Her face showed a confused look as she turned around and continued through the doorway into the kitchen.

"Only one?" Max repeated in a confused tone.

"Yes, Max. You heard correctly," Georg told him. Turning his attention to the entire table, he continued to speak. "Children, the Baroness has returned to Vienna."

Silence filled the room and all eyes turned toward the Captain. Maria glanced around the table to behold seven wide-eyed young faces and one very curious-looking uncle of theirs.

"Is she coming back?" Brigitta asked. She shot a glare at Kurt as he obviously kicked her underneath the table.

"No," Georg answered with a slight hesitation. "No she isn't, Brigitta."

The children tried to look regretful and the six oldest looked to their laps in an effort to hide their smiles and obvious happiness at their father's words. Gretl, however, continued to look upwards, not fully understanding the situation. "Are you going to still get married to her?" she asked her father with wide eyes.

"No, we've called off our engagement. She won't be coming back at all," Georg told his youngest daughter, not at all missing the sighs of relief his other children let out. He glanced at Maria quickly and the small, intoxicating smile that she gave him made him rise out of his seat and begin walking around the table towards her.

"We didn't do anything to her, Father," Liesl assured him, looking up at him with a sincere look.

"We haven't used the toad or the pinecone since Fräulein Maria's first day," Kurt admitted, but was caught off guard by a fierce kick of his shin underneath the table. "Ouch!"

Upon hearing his outburst, Louisa's glowering demeanor softened, she smiled tightly, and shrugged, actually managing to look a bit remorseful when every eye turned to her. Slowly, she sighed and flopped back in her chair. "Sorry," she said vaguely.

"She knew about it!" Kurt muttered to her under his breath once the focus was off of them.

"Shh! Shh!" Brigitta whispered to her two siblings at a volume that was just below raising her voice. She waved her hand at them, wanting to hear what her father had to say. Looking between Friedrich and Liesl, the three of them silently expressed their confusion. Brigitta contemplated what her father had said so far and all of a sudden her mouth fell open in a wide smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her.

"Father, we're going into town today with our new mother, right?" she repeated his earlier words, not really believing what her own mind was trying to tell her, but hoping that it was true.

Georg looked at her and winked and Brigitta dissolved into an excited smile and sat back in her chair, leaving her other siblings watching her with wonder. She turned towards Maria, who by this time was smiling broadly at the intuitive child, and the blatant elation on the girl's face silently gave Maria her approval.

"Children," Georg said earnestly, which caused all activity to stop and all eyes to turn his way. He stood directly behind Maria's chair and raised his hands to rest on her shoulders. "The reason why I called off my engagement to the Baroness is, well--," he trailed and instinctively stroked Maria's face.

Kurt and Louisa's mouths fell open at the display and Liesl's eyes grew very wide, but everyone remained quiet nonetheless.

"Well, the reason is because I love your governess and last night I asked her to be my wife. And your mother," he continued, bending downward to place a kiss on the top of Maria's head and gently rubbing his hands across her shoulders.

"He's going to marry Fräulein Maria!" Brigitta explained to her siblings, unable to contain the secret she had figured out any longer. She smiled and nodded excitedly.

"Really?" Liesl asked, her eyes sparkling with delight as she looked between her father and her governess. Finally, she moved her gaze to Max, who was leaning back in his seat with his arms across his chest, smiling at the new couple.

Georg nodded and smiled, which caused an eruption of squealing, shouting, and talking to break out. He reached forward and offered his hand to Maria as she stood up from her seat. Georg wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her softly on the temple before they saw the stampede heading their way.

As they approached, Maria held up her hand and spoke above the noise, chuckling gently. "Is this all right with everyone?"

A chorus of agreement was heard simultaneously before the happy group surrounded their parents.

Marta held her hands up to her father, who lifted her in the air. The little girl wrapped her hands around Maria's neck and kissed her cheek when Georg leaned close enough to his fiancée. Gretl threw her arms around Maria's waist and clung tightly to her new mother and the others hugged and congratulated both parents.

"Does this mean you'll _never _leave?" Brigitta asked her governess, overwhelmed with excitement.

"Yes, darling, I'll never leave again," Maria answered with a stroke of the girl's hair.

"_Never_?" Gretl asked with a wide grin, tightening her arms around Maria's waist.

Maria shook her head and placed her arms around the children, meeting Georg's gaze. Looking deeply into his eyes, she smiled blissfully. "I'm home," she sighed, knowing that never in her life had she ever felt more right than she did at that moment, surrounded by the man that she loved and who loved her back, and the children she loved as her own.

THE END

* * *

_I hope that you enjoyed reading this! Before you start throwing tomatoes at me or booing me off the stage for stopping the story here, let me assure you that I am working on a wedding fic plus another story that will be continuations of this one. It just made sense to me to split them up this way. But stay tuned; they're coming soon.... :) Thank you again for all of the lovely reviews! -emartin_


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